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MYCOLOGY

Utah Valley University - BIOL1620

This course section is entirely online. All assignments, quizzes, and exams will be turned in and taken on Canvas. My preferred contact method is our group Slack channel.

This webpage will host links to all resources and videos, and serves as a roadmap for the semester, listing readings, assignments, etc.

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Course overview:

The course consists of several components:

• Required readings
  • Textbook: Webster and Weber, Introduction to Fungi - 3rd ed. (specific sections)
  • Scientific papers: Usually weekly, linked below
  • Fun book: Mr. Bloomfield’s Orchard, by Nicholas Money
• Weekly quizzes on reading material (on Canvas)
• Assorted “home mycology” lab and field exercises (on Canvas)
• Exams (3 of these, on Canvas, open-note)
• Project: Design a new fungus

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Quick links:

Course Syllabus

Course Text Book

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Good web resources:

21st Century Guidebook to Fungi (This is pretty useful for this class!) Full download link for older edition (zipped).

Cornell’s Virtual Fungal Library (Extensive links to resources!)

Fungal Gene Database (Exactly what it sounds like.)

Emerging fungal diseases CDC resource page for those with a medical bent

Nice YouTube Channel with videos featuring do-it-at-home mycology

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Table of Contents

Week 1 | Week 5 | Week 9 | Week 13

Week 2 | Week 6 | Week 10 | Week 14

Week 3 | Week 7 | Week 11 | Week 15

Week 4 | Week 8 | Week 12 | Week 16

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Week 1

Topics:

• What are fungi? | Chytrids and divergence from metazoa | Fungal phylogeny

Readings and Assignments

• Study the lesson slides (link below)
• Read James, et al., 2006
• Read Webster & Weber: 1.1 | 1.5 | 6.1
• Canvas quiz on readings (due before class Thursday)
• Find and grow zygomycete fungi (Canvas assignment; video walkthrough below)
• Get “Mr. Bloomfield’s Orchard” by Nicholas Money (LINK)
• Slack discussion on readings (Thursday 11:15am)

Resources

• Main study topics
• Lesson slides
• Lesson video (Recorded during class and posted after)
• How to isolate Zygomycetes with soil and bread…for assignment video

Videos

• Chytrid trophic modes
• What’s killing the world’s amphibians?
• Chytrid sexual life cycle
• Cool time-lapse video of growing hyphae
• Hyphal morphology video

Back to top of page

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Week 2

Topics

• The “hyphal lifestyle” | Fungal physiology | Zygomycetes | Reproduction in fungi

Readings and Assignments

• Read Fisher, et al., 2018
• Read Webster & Weber: 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.3.1 | 7.3.2
• Canvas quiz on readings
• Slack discussion on readings

Resources

• Major Topics
• fungal mating types
• zygo life cycle
• Fungi are probably at least 800 million years old!
• Fossil fungi
• Biophysics of pressurized growth in fungi

Videos

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Week 3

Topics

• Ascomycetes | Species concept in fungi | Anamorphs and Teleomorphs | Dikaryotism

Readings and Assignments

• Read Webster & Weber: 8 | 10.2 | 12.1 | 12.2.1
• Canvas quiz on readings
• Slack discussion on readings

Resources

• [Major Topics]
• ascus formation video

Videos

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Week 4

Topics

• Basidiomycetes

Readings and Assignments

• Read Webster & Weber: 18 | 19.1 | 20.1 | 21.1 | 24.1
• Canvas quiz on readings
• Slack discussion on readings

Resources

• [Major Topics]

Videos

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Week 5

Topics

• Fungal development | Mushroom mechanics | Active dispersal

Readings and Assignments

• Read Hammad, et al., 1993
• Exam 1 (Covers material from weeks 1-4)

Resources

• [Major Topics]

Videos

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Week 6

Topics

• Medical mycology

Readings and Assignments

• Read Huffnagle & Noverr, 2013

Resources

• [Major Topics]

Videos

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Week 7

Topics

• Plant pathogens

Readings and Assignments

• Read Roy, 1993
• Read Webster & Weber: 22

Resources

• [Major Topics]

Videos

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Week 8

Topics

• Distribution and dispersal | Population ecology

Readings and Assignments

• Read Bacigalupe, et al., 2017
• Read Money: Chapters 1-2

Resources

• [Major Topics]

Videos

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Week 9

Topics

• Symbioses: Endophytes

Readings and Assignments

• Read Christian, et al., 2017
• Read Money: Chapter 3
• Exam 2 (Covers material from weeks 5-8)
  • Development
  • Pathology
  • Distribution

Resources

• [Major Topics]

Videos

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Week 10

Topics

• Symbioses: Mycorrhizae

Readings and Assignments

• Read Money: Chapter 4

Resources

• [Major Topics]

Videos

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Week 11

Topics

• Symbioses: Lichens

Readings and Assignments

• Read Spribille, et al., 2016
• Read Money: Chapter 5-6

Resources

• [Major Topics]

Videos

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Week 12

Topics

• Fungi and ecosystems

Readings and Assignments

• Read Hoppe, et al., 2016
• Read Money: Chapter 7

Resources

• [Major Topics]

Videos

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Week 13

Topics

• Ethnomycology

Readings and Assignments

• Read Dugan, 2008
• Read Money: Chapter 8-9
• Exam 3 (Covers material from weeks 9-12)
  • Symbioses
  • Ecology

Resources

• [Major Topics]

Videos

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Week 14

Thanksgiving Break

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Week 15

Topics

• Molecular mycology | Intro to fungal bioinformatics

Readings and Assignments

• Read Raja, et al., 2017
• Read Money: Chapter 9

Resources

• [Major Topics]

Videos

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Week 16

Topics

• Wrap-up

Readings and Assignments

• Start on Final Exam

Resources

• [Main Topics]

Videos

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Final Exam

The final exam is project-based. You will design and illustrate a new fungal species, complete with a detailed life-cycle, physiology, ecology, etc.

For the Final Exam schedule, click here